Father Kills his Two Sons & Self: Recently Started New Depression Med

Tuesday,June22nd,2010

Paragraph one reads: "The father who allegedly shot his two boys and then himself was suffering from depression, according to family members."

Paragraph five reads: "Martinez's father told News 13 his son cherished the boys and would even cry when he had to leave them to go to work. Melvin Martinez had been going through therapy and recently began taking a new medication,his father said."

Father was "depressed" before kids died

Murder-suicide investigation continues

LA PUEBLA, N.M. (KRQE) – The father who allegedly shot his two boys and then himself was suffering from depression, according to family members.

Melvin Martinez, 44, and his sons, Devin, 10 and Derek, 12, were found dead by a family member on Monday afternoon at their home in La Puebla, according to police.

Police have not said if the person who found them was the mother of the children. Martinez lived on the same road as two of his brothers.

Family members told KRQE News 13 that along with being depressed Martinez was having a hard time not seeing his boys every day since his divorce. Martinez and his wife had evenly split custody of their children.

Martinez's father told News 13 his son cherished the boys and would even cry when he had to leave them to go to work. Melvin Martinez had been going through therapy and recently began taking a new medication, his father said.

He seemed happy when he brought the boys by to visit their grandfather on Sunday, Martinez's father added.

Police are not saying how many times the victims were shot. The shootings could have occurred late Sunday–Father's Day–or early Monday, police said.

Investigators say alcohol was not a factor in the shooting but they did find bottles of prescription pills. Martinez's parents told News 13 Tuesday that along with seeing a therapist, their son had just started taking a new prescription.

An account to defray funeral and other expenses has been established at valley national bank in Española in the name of the children's mother, Paula Martinez.